Fetterman Cheers On Trump's First-Ever GOP Midterm Fluff Fest

Senator John Fetterman showed up in a prerecorded video to cheer on Donald Trump's first-ever midterm convention, praising Senator Dave McCormick and claiming credit for saving Pennsylvania steel jobs — a claim the numbers don't really back up. Julie Roginsky and Michelle Kinney dig into how Fetterman hoodwinked the Democrats who elected him, why he's doing this now, and whether there's something bigger at play — including the growing speculation that he's laying the groundwork to leave the party altogether. 00:00 – Cold open 01:10 – Show open, internet upgrade note 02:06 – Julie's family day, Tom Llamas at NBC 06:16 – Fetterman's "Trump brought back steel" claim 07:57 – Bethlehem, PA: steel country then and now 15:04 – What Fetterman actually promised as a candidate 18:14 – Fetterman's RNC video, introducing Dave McCormick 19:41 – Why Republicans want Fetterman to stay a Democrat 24:32 – Fetterman's cosplay: the "blue collar" myth vs. his actual background 32:26 – Timeline: stroke, hospitalization, staff warnings 35:44 – Josh Shapiro, "team players," and Dave McCormick 41:20 – Rep. Madeleine Dean on Fetterman's absenteeism 46:53 – Fetterman's approval numbers and 2028 odds 50:19 – Could Fetterman actually win as a Republican? 54:12 – Arlen Specter comparison 57:19 – Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms: "nice" vs. "good" 1:02:47 – Al Gore, 9/11, and sliding doors of history 1:04:47 – Preview: tomorrow's 9/11 programming 1:06:37 – Tim Scott's RNC speech and convention theatrics 1:08:55 – Anna Paulina Luna and the HUD secretary 1:10:26 – RNC's Grindr crash and Hasan Piker 1:15:59 – Trump on Ken Paxton's appearance 1:19:22 – The $5,000 "dividend" promise, explained 1:23:26 – J.D. Vance's tariff word salad 1:24:52 – Gas prices, food recalls, and economic reality 1:27:56 – Houthis, the Strait of Hormuz, and oil routes 1:28:56 – $26/gallon gas in Alaska 1:31:12 – Old Fox Business bets, unpaid 1:35:20 – Maria Bartiromo: "nice is different than good" 1:38:56 – Sign-off Follow The Mayday Network for more reporting, analysis, and rapid response — new content every day. Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-mayday-network/id6754000270) | Substack (https://substack.com/@themaydaynetwork) | X/Twitter (https://twitter.com/MaydayNetwork) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/TheMaydayNetwork) | Threads (https://www.threads.net/@TheMaydayNetwork) | Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/themaydaynetwork.com) | Website (https://www.themaydaynetwork.com)